highly recommended - sally mann documentary
Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2010 8:49 am Etc/GMT-1+01:00
Just watched the documentary 'What Remains', which is about the life and work of Sally Mann, taking in the controversies surrounding her 'Immediate Family' photographs, and then moving on to the preparation and exploration of the ideas behind her 'What Remains' exhibition.
This film is jam packed full of interesting details for the large format photographer, from watching her use (and carry under one arm with tripod attached) the massive camera she has, to the preparation and development of collodion glass plates, her rough technique of using her hand over the lens to judge shutter speefds from experience, 6 minute exposure self portraits, and of course the controversial but absolutely beautiful photographs of her children (of which there are videos of her taking the shots, and the grown up children talking about the shots and their experiences, which destroy the far right/religious right idea that they were pornographic or exploitative). there is also a sub plot throughout looking at the life long love affair between sally mann and her husband, and as the focus shifts from the fresh and full of life photos of her children, through the over romantic and moody landscapes, to the decaying and withered carcasses of dead animals - so the story passes from the boulder hurling and rugged memories of the first time she met her husband to be, through their mutual respect and admiration of each other, and on to the eventual sadness and disbelief at the rare muscle wasting disease that causes her husband to walk with a profound limp.
its a gem of a documantary, extremely poignant, very interesting creatively, and full of still images of her unique and beautiful imagery.
i feel better off for having seen it, very inspirational.
frederick
This film is jam packed full of interesting details for the large format photographer, from watching her use (and carry under one arm with tripod attached) the massive camera she has, to the preparation and development of collodion glass plates, her rough technique of using her hand over the lens to judge shutter speefds from experience, 6 minute exposure self portraits, and of course the controversial but absolutely beautiful photographs of her children (of which there are videos of her taking the shots, and the grown up children talking about the shots and their experiences, which destroy the far right/religious right idea that they were pornographic or exploitative). there is also a sub plot throughout looking at the life long love affair between sally mann and her husband, and as the focus shifts from the fresh and full of life photos of her children, through the over romantic and moody landscapes, to the decaying and withered carcasses of dead animals - so the story passes from the boulder hurling and rugged memories of the first time she met her husband to be, through their mutual respect and admiration of each other, and on to the eventual sadness and disbelief at the rare muscle wasting disease that causes her husband to walk with a profound limp.
its a gem of a documantary, extremely poignant, very interesting creatively, and full of still images of her unique and beautiful imagery.
i feel better off for having seen it, very inspirational.
frederick
